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ISSUE 157, SEPTEMBER 28 2018
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INSPIRATIONS. ALL Stitched Up!
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Hi There,
passion |ˈpaʃ(ə)n | an intense desire or enthusiasm for something

We all have things we love or enjoy, but it’s on a rare occasion we find something we’re truly passionate about. Passion fills us with enthusiasm and drives us. It compels us to become immersed in its pursuit.

Though expressed in many ways, one of the things that unites those of us within the Inspirations Community is our passion for needle and thread. For some of us, its pursuit has gone beyond something we like to do, it’s become part of us. We live, breathe and sleep what it can produce. It’s moved beyond our greatest passion and has become an obsession, our purpose in life.
And so it is with Inspirations Studios as we seek out the world’s most beautiful needlework and reveal its story in bespoke settings, befitting of the time and talent poured into each creation.
Today we are excited to announce the launch of a project of passion we’ve been working on for over a year. Our brand-new book ‘A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII’ is filled with more beauty, more wonder, and, of course, more passion than ever before. You can read all about it below.

As we all continue our individual and collective journeys, fuelled with obsession for needle and thread, we can’t wait to embark on new adventures. Join us, it won’t be the same without you.
 
Needlework News
Inspirations Calendar – October Project
If you’ve even been asked who your favourite movie star is, inevitably the follow up question is which of their movies you like the best. The same would apply to your favourite needlework designer - which of their projects do you love the most?
Fans of Carolyn Pearce have a particularity difficult task in this regard, as not only is all of her work absolutely gorgeous, the number of pieces to choose from is seemingly endless. One project, however, that consistently ranks high on everyone’s list of their ‘Carolyn favourites’ is ‘Home Sweet Home’.
The October project featured in the Inspirations calendar is ‘Welcome Home’ which is a bonus accessory Carolyn created for the Home Sweet Home workbox, exclusively for Inspirations Magazine issue #92, in celebration of the book coming back in print.
This enchanting little case is designed to hold a bodkin, pins and a few precious needles. Stitched onto matching fabric, the bellows-shaped case has a single heartsease on the cover and an embroidered initial on the back.
 
DIGITAL PATTERN
Welcome Home
 
 
PRINTED BOOK
Home Sweet Home
 
Pop-Up Shop Reminder
If you are in Adelaide, don’t forget to come and visit our Pop-Up Shop and Needlework Exhibition next Saturday 6th October, at Immanuel College 32 Morphett Rd, Novar Gardens SA 5040, from 10am to 2pm.
All our brand-new publications will be available as well as a huge range of kits and Beating Around the Bush merchandise.

Plus, you can enjoy the world’s most beautiful needlework up close and personal in our stitching exhibition. We hope to see you there!
Issue #100 Coming Soon
25 years in the making and the wait is nearly over… dispatch for Inspirations issue #100 has begun. With an official release date of 25th October, we are doing our very best to ensure all subscribers receive their copy by this date.
Will issue #100 be worth the wait? We’ll let Elizabeth Barrett Browning answer that one:
‘Let me count the ways...
~ Sonnets from the Portuguese: extract from number 43 ~
Order Fulfilment Delays
Please note that due to the closure of the Inspirations office during our Beating Around the Bush convention, any orders placed on our website between 28th September and 12th October will ship on Tuesday 16th October. We appreciate your patience.
 
Featured Project
A Passion in the Making
Expectations are a curious thing. Left unchecked they can amp themselves up to the extent that the imminent event is either not as bad as expected, or conversely not as good. All of us have different ways of managing these expectations.
Over the past 18 months the team here at Inspirations Studios has been working on a much anticipated follow up to ‘A Passion for Needlework’ and with so much expectation riding on this second book, internally it has been quite the roller coaster ride to complete it.
Today is the official launch of ‘A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII’ the second in the Inspirations Passion series. We’ve asked Inspirations Chief Operating Officer Andrea Fleming to join us this week and share with everyone a little of the journey that led to the creation of what could possibly be the world’s most beautiful needlework book produced to-date.
‘Two years ago, we set out to produce the ultimate needlework book. We wanted it to be bold, evocative and convey the beauty of needlework in the most vivid way possible. Whenever you see the needlework projects we publish in real life, you can’t help but be drawn into their beauty and wonder – that’s what we wanted to convey in our book. When we released ‘A Passion for Needlework’ in 2016 the response was amazing and it gave us the confidence to follow it up with another book in the series.’

This new book has the unique and intriguing title ‘Factoria VII’ which, as Andrea explains, references the charming location the book is set in.
‘We believe that every needlework project has a story to tell, so while planning the second book we sought a location that would help with the story telling process. When we first saw the house Factoria VII it was like striking gold… here was this hidden-away rustic cottage that was so perfect, it ended up with its own starring role alongside each project.’
After the acclaim of the first ‘A Passion for Needlework’, as we’ve mentioned, there were high expectations on the team to deliver a second book equally as good, if not better. How did everyone go managing that process?
‘At Inspirations we’re always pushing ourselves to innovate and ensure our publications are constantly evolving just like the art of needlework itself.’
‘So, one of our golden rules is to ensure the projects we feature are the hero in every story. When you have 12 spectacular projects designed by some of the most talented needlework artisans in the world, that’s always a great place to start. Susan and Ellaine are responsible for curating all the projects in our publications and the line-up they selected for Factoria VII was among the very best we’ve seen. That set the stage for an amazing foundation and helped take the pressure off.’
12 amazing projects, tick. Fantastic location, tick. Making the rest of the book was easy then?

‘Not quite! On the first day of shooting, the weather was inclement, the lighting in the house was much darker than expected, and Factoria VII was even more raw and industrial that we counted on. After all, the cottage was well over 100 years old and was once a bacon factory, of all things, so one does not typically associate scarred stone walls with the delicate intricacies of fine, hand-stitched reticella or precise goldwork. We were worried we had taken it a little too far.’
‘Yet when it all came together, a wonderful dichotomy ensued which creates both familiarity and tension – it’s what you expect, but not necessarily where you expect it. A collision of two beautiful worlds.’
‘A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII’ has most definitely raised the bar and set a new gold standard for needlework publications. Finished with a hard cover, linen wrapped spine and a handy pocket in the back for the pattern sheets, Andrea said the early feedback has been flattering.
‘Initial comments we’ve received from those with advance copies has been wonderful, everyone is taken back with just how beautiful the book is. Some have no intention of using any of the step-by-step instructions, but it takes prime position on their coffee table. We’ve even had non-stitchers let us know it had such an impact on them, they are considering taking up needlework! That’s when it makes us feel like everything we do is worthwhile.’
And what did the Inspirations team think when they saw the finished book for the first time?

‘Having worked on this project for many, many months and pouring so much of our collective hearts and souls into bringing it to life, as you can imagine, we had high expectations. We had pushed the boundaries, taken risks and laid it all on the line. And then the advance copies arrived. The final product exceeded our expectations and we were absolutely thrilled. We can’t wait to share it with everyone in the Inspirations Community and beyond.’
Inspirations’ ‘A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII’ is now available to purchase online at inspirationsstudios.com along with first book in the collector’s series which has just been re-released as a deluxe edition in hard cover with linen wrapped spine, as a matching pair to the second title.
A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII
Indulge your needlework passion with this new book in the Inspirations Passion Collector series. A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII tells the story of beautiful sophisticated needlework in a rustic hide-away cottage.

12 new unique and individual stories. 1 unified aesthetic.
A Passion for Needlework | Deluxe
To celebrate the release of volume two, A Passion for Needlework volume one is being re-released in a deluxe edition to cater for the discerning needleworker who can now create a collection of this premium book series.
‘A Passion for Needlework Deluxe’ features a hard cover complete with linen binding, pocket for removable pattern sheet and premium quality stock.
*Special discounted shipping rates to anywhere in the world are currently available for these new titles, when purchased through our website.
What Are You Stitching?
Our needles and threads have the ability to convey passion, and this week we sought the countless passions that have been conveyed through the needlework of the Inspirations Community...
Lee Winter | Perfection
‘I really identified myself with the words on perfection that were shared in All Stitched Up! #146. I strive to reach it every time I pick up needle and thread, but as yet have failed to achieve a perfect piece of embroidery, even though there is usually a lot of unpicking along the way! I recently tried a piece of Blackwork that was created from a photograph a family member took of an otter we saw at Paignton Zoo. Having never done any Blackwork before, it is not perfect however hard I tried to make it so, but I am very proud of the end result!’
We’re often our own worst critics when it comes to what’s produced from our needles and threads, but Lee your spirit of excellence is driven by your pursuit of perfection and from where we sit we think you may have just found stitching perfection in this piece!
Lori Savignac | Needle and Thread
‘I love reading your newsletter and hearing about others like me who have a love affair with needle and thread! I am currently working on a gift for a friend. I like to keep family and friends in my thoughts when I am making a gift for them. It keeps the flow of needle and thread traveling throughout a piece as I try to complete an area with one colour.’
‘My current project has 56 colours. It is the most colours I have ever worked with and is also the first time I have used the grid method, creating blocks of 10 x 10 stitches. So glad I did as I could not have done this without the grid. Best step out of my comfort zone I have ever made!’
Lori, we love that you describe your passion for needle and thread as a love affair! You’ve taken on an intricate and detailed piece and your grid approach has proven most fruitful. We look forward to seeing the finished result.
Matthea Paulus | Generations
‘Embroidery is in my genes! My mother worked for hours on different types of embroideries, as did my aunts. As a young mother I taught my daughters and son to embroider and each of them have framed pieces all over my house. As a member of the Queensland Embroiderers’ Guild I have had the opportunity to read Inspirations Magazines and venture out and get involved with different types of needlework to broaden my scope.’
‘I occasionally assist with helping youngsters to learn simple embroidery and this gave me the idea to have a go with my two year old grandchild, Johanna.
Little did I realise that she would take to it like a duck to water! I was amazed.
Once completed, we brightened the work with sequins and seed beads and her embroidery was used to make a reusable shopping bag.’
‘Little Johanna couldn’t keep it a secret for her Mum’s Birthday, such was her enthusiasm. I’m so looking forward to my Oma years with another generation of keen needleworkers!’

Matthea, we love that the art of needle and thread continues in your family because of your passion for passing it onto the generations beyond you. Johanna has a bright future ahead of her and we can’t wait to see what’s next from her needle and thread!
Stacia Knight-Graham | Dobermans
‘This is Pyrat, an Irongate Doberman Pincher. Pyrat was a champion and her owner and Breeder is Eve Auch. I designed and embroidered Pyrat based on a photograph for Eve as a thank-you for our dogs Guinness and Harp and all the support she gives us on our Doberman journey. It is one of my favourite pieces.’

For many of us our dogs are one of our greatest passions and the way you’ve captured Pyrat with needle and thread is just stunning Stacia! What a thoughtful thank-you gift.

Have you embarked upon or completed a project of passion with needle and thread? We’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created along with a few details about the passion behind the project to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Quote
‘Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what you love.’
~ Oprah Winfrey ~
What's On
Stay informed of upcoming needlework events taking place all around the world in our new What’s On page on the Inspirations Studios Website HERE.
If you’re holding an event or would like to suggest one to be added, we’d love to hear about it. Email us the details at news@inspirationsstudios.com
INSPIRATIONS
© 2018 Inspirations Studios

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